Escapement adjusting device



Patented Oct. 1, 1946 OFFICE ESCAPEMENT ADJUSTING DEVICE Ernest AlphonseDerungs and Oscar Chatelain, Le Locle, Switzerland Application October27, 1943, Serial No. 507,854 In Switzerland October 21, 1942 3 Claims.(Cl. 18546) Object of the invention is an adjusting device whichpossesses an escapement whose movements are adjusted by a vibrator leverfixed to the axle of a balance whose oscillations can be influenced withregard to their period during the running of the device.

Such a device is quite independent of variations in temperature andeffects of adhesion between surfaces subjected to relativedisplacements, as is the case in analogous mechanisms used up to date.

By preference, a simple and robust vibrator lever is used e. g. one ofthe well-known type with equidistant pallets. The properties of theseescapements need not be described in detail. However, one is notrestricted to the use of this kind of escapements.

The period of oscillation is varied by modifying the amount of inertiaof the balance fixed to the axle of the vibrator lever by displacingmasses.

The accompanying drawing illustrates, by way of examples, one embodimentof the adjusting device according to the invention.

Figs. 1 and 2 show only those parts of the apparatus which are necessaryfor understanding the invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the reference characters I and IIdesignate the upper and lower plate of the part of the apparatus onwhich the adjusting device is mounted. On these plates l0 and II anescape wheel I2 is journaled, cooperating with a vibrator lever I3 ofthe wellknown type with equidistant pallets. The operation of thisescapement, that is, the cooperation of this escape wheel with thislever is well-known to those skilled in the art and need not bedescribed in detail.

The escape wheel receives its movement from a pinion I4 cooperating witha non-illustrated gearing. The axle of the vibrator lever I3 is a tubeI5 which is supported on the plate II by a shoulder and ends at the topin a point I6 journaled on a ball bearing I1.

In the interior of the tube I5 a rod I8 is slidably placed, carrying apin I9 which traverses cut-outs 20 in the wall of the tube I5. Besidesthis, pin I9 goes through a collar 2I connected by means of rods 22 withthe shorter arm of bent levers 23 whose longer arms carry weights 24.These bent levers 23 are pivoted on a ring 25 fixed to the tube IS.

A spring 26 is inserted between the ring 25 and the collar 2 I.

The lower end of the rOd l8 rests on a bent lever 2! whose shorter armis attached to the wire 28 of a Bowden cable 29.

It will be easily understood that, by pressing upon the button 30, lever21 is rotated and lifts the rod I8 and, with it, the collar 2| and therods 22, whereby the levers 23 are tilted and the weights 24 approachedto the axis of oscillation of the Vibrator lever I3. By doing this, themoment of inertia of the balance fixed to the lever I3 and formed by theweights 24 and their accessories is diminished. During the aboveoperation the axial pressure exerted upon the rod I8 and tube I5 isreceived by the ball bearing II. On letting the button 38 go the spring26 moves the weights 24 away from the aXis of oscillation of thevibrator lever I3.

It may thus be seen that during operation of the apparatus it ispossible to modify the period of oscillation and, in consequence, themovements of the gearings connected with the escape wheel I 2 by meansof the pinion M. In this way and if it is a question of a motor withvariable power, a suitable brakin could be obtained at the start of themotor and a less efficacious braking when the motor is no longer able togive its maximum power. In such a case the button 30 or an equivalentmechanical means is brought into connection with an apparatusindicating, for instance, the tension of a spring motor.

What we claim is:

1. In an adjusting device, an escapement, an axle, a vibrator leverfixed to said axle for controlling the movements of said escapement, abalance mounted on said axle, including masses displaceable in order tomodify the moment of inertia of said balance means tending to displacesaid masses in one direction, and means passing axially through saidaxle for displacing the masses in the opposite direction.

2. In an adjusting device, an escapement, an axle, a vibrator leverfixed to said axle for controlling the movements of said escapement, abalance mounted on said axle, including rocking levers, and masses fixedto said rocking levers, said rocking levers with said masses being ableto move away from and to approach to the oscillation axis of saidvibrator lever in order to modify the moment of inertia of said balanceand means passing through said axle for radially adjusting said levers.

3. In an adjusting device, an escapement, a tube, a vibrator lever fixedto said tube for controlling the movements of said escapement, a balancemounted on said tube, including rocking levers, and masses fixed'to saidrocking levers, a slidable rod in the interior of said tube destined torotate said rocking levers in order to move the masses away from and toapproach them to the oscillation axis of said vibrator lever.

ERNEST ALPHONSE DERUNGS. OSCAR CHATELAIN.

